Device for uniting insulated conductors of electricity.



A. A. KEN T.

DEVICE FOR UNITING INSULATED CONDUGTORS 0F ELECTRICITY.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.24, 1911.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

FIG 1.

Ffhi FIG Z FIG J.

FIG 4 A TTORNE Y lTliIESSES J 02 movable with circult wire of an inductive circuit of a T all wl wm z't concern." I Be'it known that I, "ART-HUB 'ATWATER electrical leak or PATENT mm. r

ARTHUR ATWATER KENT, or PHILADELPHIA, PnNNsYLvnuIA.

nnvion'ron. UNITliNG INSULATED counucronson'nLEcTRrcIrY.

resident of the city:of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia," and State of Pennsylvania,

have'inv'entedi certain newfiand useful Improvements 1n -Devices for and my invention 4 p attaching of such an lnsulated wire as is usedfor currents of high potential to a sta tiona'ry conductor, terminal or contact, of,

any suitable electrical apparatus.

. Considerable difliculty has always Queue...

ed the attaching conductor adapted to be used in connection f With .high tension currents to a contact ter-. 'minal, .or other insulated conductor, particuof an insulated electrical larly where. the wire should be rigid'and im respect to such terminal or the support in An instance of by my invention is in attachinga secondary sparking} system for internal combustion en'- gines. particularly desirable that. the wire be coupled or unitedto the terminal rigidlyand at the same time' completely insulated from everything but the this, in order to prevent any leakage in the circuit in the connection, interior of the same should b for if water could find its way nection there would e watertight, into the con:

a short circuiting or .groundingof the circuit, and it is a further object, of my invention to provide ac'oupling to fulfil all the conditions or requirements above referred to in a simple, inexpensive and convenient manner.

In the drawings forming a part of this application in whlc'h the same reference numerals are used to designate the same parts throughout the various vlews, Flgure'l-ls a plan view of a support or other suitable mounting provided with my improved means for uniting wires to a terminal provided therein;' Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Figs. 3, 4 and 5, are vertical sectional elevations of modified forms of my invention.

iEN'T, a citizen :ofthe United S and f trlcal apparatus, is

ordinary ;Uniting Insu- .lated Conductors of Electricity, of which the following is a full,'com'plete,' and exact dis-j ,fca'l pro ection1 My invention relates to devices for attach-- particularly relates to the preferably conical or' flaring away from which the same is mounted. such a use as is contemplated for the passage ofthe insulated 8 therethrough. -The= inside of said cap or n such and similar circuits it is terminal. Further than of th or coupling, the sulation from. 'theend 8 of the conductor so be great liability. of an terminal 2. I

end 8, a number tape 10' until the outer diameter of the 'Seria1Nc. '604,432. w

Referring first particularly to Figs. 1

Specification of letters iate'nt. Patentd Dc. 30, 1913. v Application filed January 24, 1911. l I

and 2, a support 1, which may be a casing or other part of any suitable provided with a co'ntact P1606 or stationary conductor 2, to which an relatively flexibly insulated conductor 8is to be electrically connected. The

support 1 around and adjacent the conductor 2 is preferably provided'with a cylindriupon the outer surface of threads. 3. The contact or WhlCh are screw stationary conductor 2 is embedded-0r otherthe insulated wire maybe and preferably is provided withv a recess or hole 4, the diameter of, which'is slightly larger than that of the insulated conductor to f the bare'wire of be attached thereto.

-.5, I surrounding the conductor or contact 2,

The

end of said terminal 2. Over the threaded end with an:

piece of elec opening 7 conductor a coupling 6 is preferably provided with a shoulder 9, the purpose of which will be made plain below. In attaching the'conductor 8 to the contact or conductor 2, I first pass'the conductor through the opening 7 e'cap or coupling 6, and remove the inthat the end 8 willcome into electrical contact with the conductor 2, the'said end, in the forms of my device as-shown in Figs. 2 to x 4 entering the recess or hole 4 in the contact or then wrap around the end of the conductorv 8, preferably over the insulat'ed surface thereof, and adjacent the bared' of convolutions of adhesive screwed over the exterior surface of the proprojection 1.

jection 1 surrounding the contact or conductor 2. In doing this the shoulder 9 of the cap or coupling 6 engages the outer side or edges of the convolutions of the tape 10 and forces the same down against the conical surface 5 of the bore 5, and in so doing forces the bared end of the conductor 8 into electrical engagementwith the conductor 2 and compresses or expands the tape 10 radially so that it will snugly fit and fill the bore 5 of the projection 1', but having first filled the said opening or bore its radial expansion is limited by the walls of the projection 1' surrounding the said bore 5.

It is well known that when a flexible ma terial such as adhesive tape is spirally wrapped around a surface it binds very tightly on the surface upon which it is thus wrapped and there is a great deal of pressure exerted by the convolution material upon the said surface, this principle being illustrated when a cord is wrapped in a number of convolutions around the finger. It will be seen then that when theadhesive tape is so wound or wrapped around the conductor 8 it holds or grips the same very tightly and under considerable pressure due to the winding or wrapping of the same around the conductor. In addition to the tension which is put upon the insulated conductor by reason of these convolutions of tape 10 against the sides of the conductor by the conical surface 5 when the cap 6 is screwed over the threaded surface 3. The shoulder 9, engaging the outer side or edges of the convolutions of tape 10 around the opening 7, may be pushed against it sufiiciently tightly to make a watertight joint at this oint. The insulated wire or conductor 8 so attached to the terminal is held substantially immovable with respect thereto, for itis slightly expanded by the pressure exerted upon it by the coupling and fills the opening 5 in the p ojection 1, and it is clamped between the shoulder 9 and the conical surface 5, which conical surface has a crowding or wedging action on the adjacent ends or wedges of the tape 10. By reason of this the wire is so firmly held and clamped that it cannot be twisted or turned within the coupling, and the bared end 8' is firmly held in position in the recess st of the terminal forming a sufiiciently good electrical connection for a high tension current between the end of the conductor and the terminal.

By means of this invention it will be observed that no separate clamps or set screws or other holding devices are necessary, and that to unite the wire or conductor to the contact or other conductor it is merely necessary to wrap the end with a number of convolutions of adhesive tape so that it will fit fairly snugly within the opening adjacent the same is further compressed the end of the conductor 2 and screw the coupling down on to the support or mount- In Fig. 3 I have illustrated the same construction except that instead of adhesive or sticky tape, a flexible twine or cord 11 is employed, the same being wrapped around the end of the conductor in a plurality of convolutions in a manner similar to that in which the tape is wound in the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The same principle of the tight grip of a flexible material wrapped around a surface in a number of convolutions, is made use of in this construction, and I find that the wire or flexible conductor 8 is very rigidly secured and held in this manner.

In Fig. 4% a single rubber ring or washer 12 is employed in lieu of the adhesive tape 10 or twine or cord 11, and when the cap or coupling 6 is threaded down over the threaded surface of the support, the rubber washer 12 will be expanded to completely fill the interior of the bore in the projection of the support, and at the same time forced inwardly and firmly against the conductor to grip the same and hold it immovable with respect to the terminal, but when the washer 12 fills the opening 5 its further radial expansion will be limited by the walls of the said opening.

Instead of one washer 12, as is shown in Fig. 4, a plurality of rings or washers 13 may be used as in the construction illustrated in Fig. 5, and the same will be compressed to substantially fill the opening adjacent the conductor 2, and grip the conductor 8 as has been above described.

In some cases it may not be necessary to provide the end of the conductor 2 with a recess L for the bared end of the wire is held so firmly by the tape, twine or cord or elastic washers that it cannot be moved laterally or separated from its engagement with the conductor 2 after the cap 6 has been screwed down in place and the washers or other gripping means have been compressed to fill the opening or bore around and adjacent the end of the terminal 2. This I have illustrated in Fig. 5, it being understood that in any of the modifications previously described the hole 4 in the end of the conductor 2 may be dispensed with if so desired.

The forms of my invention illustrated in Figs, 2 and 4 are preferred forms because the same will form a substantially water tight connection around the insulated conductor, in addition to holding the conductor immovable with respect to the contact or terminal, but where the coupling is used where it is not exposed to weather or moisture the twine, cord or rings may be used.

My invention is capable of application to many devices inwhich that character of an electrical connection as I have above de- Thus, as above set itself particularly to scribed, is desirable. forth, the device lends the attaching of the secondary wires of a sparking circuit to the contacts or terminals of a contact device such as is used for automatic engines, but I do not wish to be construed as being limited to this application of my invention for other forms and other applications thereof are fully contemplated by me so long as the'same are within the spirit and scope of my invention and of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a device for uniting insulated conductors of electricity, the combinationof a 'stantially equal said opening,

mounting having an opening, a conductor rigidly secured to' such mounting and having its end at the bottom of said opening, the said conductor being provided with a recess in the end thereof, a second conductor provided with a short bared end arranged to enter said recess in said first mentioned conductor, a water proof material fitting tightly around the insulated end of said second conductor andhaving an exterior diameter subto the interior diameter of said material being compressed around said conductor and filling said open ing when the coupling is secured to said support.

. 2. In a device for uniting insulated conductors .of electricity, the combination of a support, a conductor mounted in said sup port and provided at its outer end with a recess, said support being provided with an opening having a conical surface around said end of said conductor, a second conductor having. a bared end arranged to fit 1 within said recess in said first mentioned conductor, a coupling having an opening through which said second conductor passes,

a plurality of convolutions of adhesive tape wrapped around said second conductor adj acent said bared end to form a cylindrical flange of a diameter substantially equal to that of the interior of said opening, a shoulder on said coupling to engage the side of the convolutions of said-tape adjacent theresaid coupling being screw threaded to 3. In a device for uniting a pair of electhe combination of an electrical conductor a substantially cylindrical mounting provided with screw threads and to which said conductor is rigidly secured in axial alinement therewith, said mounting being provided with a .conically recessed clamping surface around the end of said conductor, a second conductor provided with an insulating covering and a relatively short bared end, a cap having an axial opening through which said second conductor extends, and an interior clamping surface in a plane substantially normal to the axis of said opening in said cap, and a plurality of convolutions of a length of flexible material tightly wound around said second conductor adjacent said bared end, and forming a flange thereon of a diameter substantially equal to that of the interior of said cap, said cap being provided with screw threads cooperating with the screw threads of said mounting, whereby when said cap is turned with respect to said mounting, to move toward said moun'ting, the said flange is clamped between the said clamping surfaces of said mounting and said cap, the radial expansion of said flange is substantially prevented by the walls of said cap, the flange is pressed more tightly against said second conductor by reason of the concave surface of said mounting; and said bared end is forced toward and securely held against said first conductor.

4.- In a device for uniting a pair of electrical conductors, the combination of a support, anelectrical conductor secured to said support, said support being provided with a conical recess surrounding the end of said conductor, a cap having an opening, a second conductor having a bared end, passing through said opening in said cap, a length of flexible material wrapped around said second conductor to form a flange adjacent the bared end thereof and within said cap and of an exterior diameter substantially equal to that of the interior of said ca? and means whereby said cap may be orced toward said support, to clamp said flange between said cap and surface of said conical recess in said support, therradial expansion of said flange is substantially prevented by the sides of cap, the said flange is made to grip said second conductor more tightly and the bared end of said second conductor is pressed into and retained in firm engage- ,ment with said first conductor.

In yvitness whereof I have set my hand this twenty-first day of January 1911.

ARTHUR ATWATER KENT. 'Witnesses:

ALsroN B, MOULTON, AmxANnnR PARK. 

